Which patient position is at a right angle to a supine or prone position?

Which patient position is at a right angle to a supine or prone position?

• A. Decubitus
• B. Lateral
• C. AP
• D. PA

Answer: (B)

The key idea is side-lying. When a patient is supine (lying on the back) or prone (lying on the abdomen), the orientation of the body is with the front or back facing up or down. Placing the patient on their side puts the body perpendicular to that orientation, which is a 90-degree turn. That side-lying posture is the lateral position. The other terms describe either a different fixed way of lying (decubitus is a general lying-down term that can specify a side with a horizontal beam) or describe how the X-ray beam travels through the body (AP or PA), not how the patient is positioned on the table.

The key idea is side-lying. When a patient is supine (lying on the back) or prone (lying on the abdomen), the orientation of the body is with the front or back facing up or down. Placing the patient on their side puts the body perpendicular to that orientation, which is a 90-degree turn. That side-lying posture is the lateral position. The other terms describe either a different fixed way of lying (decubitus is a general lying-down term that can specify a side with a horizontal beam) or describe how the X-ray beam travels through the body (AP or PA), not how the patient is positioned on the table.